In the art of health care, it is well recognized that warm or hot water baths have great therapeutic value.
Hydrotherapy, that is, the treatment of disease or trauma by external use of water has long been practiced. With the ever-increasing ability to provide and/or deliver hydrotherapeutic treatments and/or services, the practice of hydrotherapy has, in recent years, been increasing at a notable rate. While the use of common domestic bathtubs afford limited therapeutic treatment for persons who can be effectively treated while lying down in a physically confined condition in a shallow body of hot or warm water, for short periods of time and who are physically capable of safely and comfortably moving or climbing into and out of such tubs, they are of limited or questionable value for the treatment and care of persons who, due to a weakened condition or trauma, cannot safely climb into and out of such tubs and cannot or should not be made to lie down in shallow bodies of water in physically restrained conditions. Such common bathtubs are totally inadequate for therapeutic use in those situations where the hydrotherapy to be effected requires that the person being treated be buoyantly supported to a substantial extent, while in a substantial upright standing or seated positions; where the person's body and/or limbs are to be moved and exercised during and as part of the therapy; and where the treatments require that the temperature of the water be maintained at relatively high and constant temperatures for protracted periods of time.
As a result of the above, in the past, when hydrotherapy was prescribed, for the ailing or inferm, it was necessary for those being treated to be admitted into and to travel to and from those hospitals and similar medical facilities where large hydrotherapy tanks are provided. As a general rule, such hydrotherapy tanks are simple, floor-supported metal tanks from 31/2' to 4' deep and from 6' to 8' in diameter. The water in such tanks is sufficiently deep to enable persons to be treated therein to gain substantial buoyant support and are sufficiently wide or extensive to enable persons treated to move about and to engage in prescribed exercise. The above noted hydrotherapy tanks generally require ladders or hoists to enable the persons to be treated to get into and out of the tanks or to be placed in and removed therefrom. Further, it is generally required that chairs or seats be placed in such tanks when the persons being treated must sit and/or rest while in the tanks. Still further, as a general rule, the persons treated in such tanks must be accompanied and their treatment must be supervised by a physical therapist or one whose primary job is to see that the persons being treated get safely into and out of the tanks and do not drown when in the tanks.
The large volume of hot water in such tanks and the hot water supply and drain means for such tanks is generally such that the temperature of the water therein can be effectively adjusted and controlled for effecting most prescribed treatments.
As the art of hydrotherapy developed, it was found that hydrotherapeutic treatments are frequently greatly enhanced by vigorous turbulation of the water which stimulates circulation. Such stimulation of circulation is further enhanced by directing high pressure jets of water onto the bodies of persons being treated. Such jets of water effect deep working or massaging of the bodies' tissues and joints in a similar yet more effective and gentle manner than can be attained by manual massage.
To the above end, hydrotherapy tanks of the general character referred to above are commonly equipped with electric driven submersible pumps engageable in the tanks and provided with water outlet nozzles which can be moved about and directed onto patients being treated, to massage the patients, as desired or as circumstances require.
Due to the great inconveniences and excessive high costs of obtaining hydrotherapeutic treatment in hospitals and the like, and due to the well recognized physical benefits afforded by hydrotherapy, a want and need for hydrotherapy tanks such as are used in hospitals and the like, for regular domestic use, has been recognized. That need and want has led to the development of and has been satisfied by those hydrotherapy tank-like structures which are commonly called "hot tubs" or "spas".
In recent years, the manufacture and sale of hot tubs has grown at a rapid rate and has brought about a development of new and improved hot tub structures and related support systems and/or equipment.
With few possible exceptions, hot tubs for domestic use are notably more decorative and aesthetically pleasing than hydrotherapy tanks such as are found in hospitals and the like and, with few exceptions, have been enhanced with varying and different designs and equipment changes which render them safer, easier to use and generally more effective and efficient than many hydrotherapy tanks found and used in hospitals and the like.
As a result of competition, the cost of hot tubs is such that when a physician prescribes hydrotherapy treatments for a patient, which treatments must be given to the patient regularly for a protracted period of several months, it is more convenient and far more economical for the patient to purchase, maintain and to operate a hot tub at his or her home than it would be to receive treatment as an in-patient or out-patient at a hospital or similar institution. As a result of the foregoing, many private insurance companies and in many instances, government sponsored medical insurance plans, cover and/or pay for the cost of hot tubs when such appears to be economically prudent.
Further, when the purchase of a hot tub is prescribed by a taxpayer's physician, the cost of such a tub is a proper tax deduction.
The foregoing history of the development and state of the art of hot tubs is significant since it makes clear the fact that hot tubs are valuable and important therapeutic devices or equipment and while popular and enjoyed by many persons as a simple luxury they are not mere play equipment.
A major shortcoming found in those hospital hydrotherapy tanks and in those hot tubs provided by the prior art resides in the placement and control of those pumps and jets which are provided to effect hydro-massage. In the case of hyderotherapy tanks, submersible pumps are commonly removably engaged in the tanks and the pumps are provided with discharge nozzles which can be directed onto persons immersed in the tanks for treatment, as desired. In the case of domestic hot tubs, when such tubs are provided with hydro-massage means, one or more jets are positioned at the walls of the tubs at predetermined positions so that persons can move about and position themselves in the tubs and relative to the nozzles to receive desired massage. In the case of hot tubs, the jets receive water from the outlets of pumps which are located outside the tubs and the inlets of which are connected with drains at the bottoms of the tubs. In practice, due to the limited range and rapidly diminishing force effect of water jets in substantially static bodies of water, the effective range of the water jets of hydro-massage means in hot tubs is extremely limited and is often such that the effectiveness of many such means is of little practical use. An effective range of four to six inches can be anticipated.
In the more sophisticated and highly developed hydro-massage means for hot tubs and the like, air is introduced into the volume of water in the tubs adjacent the nozzles and along with the jets of water to lighten the load of the water in the tanks which reacts with and tends to buffer the jets of water. In most instances, the water nozzles are incorporated in aspirator units which are connected with suitable air supplies whereby the jets of water draw and carry with them appropriate volumes of air to attain the desired end effect. With such air assisted hydro-massage means, the effective range of the water jets is materially increased but nonetheless remains quite limited.
In the case of the above noted air assisted hydro-massage means, the amount of air that can be introduced into the tubs and the extent to which the water in the tubs can be lightened thereby is limited. If an excessive amount of air is introduced into the water in the tubs, the water is likely to be aerated and lightened to such an extent that it will afford insufficient buoyant support for persons in the tubs and tends to so aerate and increase the volume of water that it will cause the tanks to overflow and the water to be blown therefrom. As a result of the foregoing, it has been established that in practice, the most practical and effective range of the water jets in air assisted type hydro-massage means is from eight to twelve inches.
It is to be noted that the above discussion concerning the effective range of the jets of water in hydro-massage means for hot tubs is based upon a maximum safe and practical volume, pressure and flow rate for hydro-massage jets. When attempts are made to increase the pressure and the rate of flow at the nozzles, the force of the jets at the nozzles could become excessive and create an unreasonable risk of harm.
Due to the spaced relationship and the limited effective range of water jets directed into hot tubs by hydro-massage means incorporated in such tubs, it will be apparent that to be effectively massaged by the water jets, a person must move about the tub and into close proximity with an appropriate nozzle and must turn or twist about and raise or lower his body to some extent in order to have the jet of water issuing from that nozzle, impinge upon and massage a desired portion of his body. If and when he wants another portion of his body massaged, he must change position and maneuver about and into the effective range of another water jet. While such moving and maneuvering about in a hot tub, to be massaged, is a nuisance, inconvenient and oftentimes impractical, it is looked upon as an inherent characteristic of hot tubs and has become accepted by most owners and users of hot tubs.